Hey guys,

I am new to the forums. I just wanted to talk a little bit about my first long distance ride. Lately I have been a commuter, maybe 8 miles a day, but have decided that I want to try and build a base up. So I have decided to do 3 longer rides at a medium pace every week. Then maybe put in some sprint type rides.

Anyway, I broke out the bike and did 40 miles in about 3:30. I have to admit that towards the end I thought I was going to die, as it was very windy and storming quite badly! I could barely pedal at the end. I think I was going about 1 mile per hour

But it was quite satisfying to finish! I think I ate 10 lbs of food when at my destination. During the ride I tried to stay pretty hydrated and ate 2 lil bagels during it. But the main question is, other than water, is it worth having food along for the ride? I know I enjoyed it, but I was not sure if it would just be a detriment.

No real point to this I suppose, rather than to just say hello and mention my ride.

In normal weather for 40 miles, water should be fine. If it's real hot, you go for longer distances or you have problems with cramps you might want to try additives that fuel you and replenish electrolytes.

I usually use regular water and add some Coke or Mt. Dew after 20-30 miles. I'll stop at a 7-11, get a 32 oz drink, drink some of it and pour the remainder in my bottles.

When I used to be able to do long distance running I would have a mixture of 50/50 water/gatorade type drink. I should try that perhaps.

On my longer MTB rides, I'll toss some Nuun or Camelbak tabs in my hydration bladder. Can do the same with bottles. I usually have one with plain water and one with water and tablet added.

Let me ask you this ... do you think you could ride a century (100 miles), or a randonnee (200 km to 1200 km) without food along for the ride?



On anything longer than 2 hours, aim to consume about 200-300 calories per hour. You may need to experiment to find out what works for you, but if you ate a lot when you finished the ride, chances are you didn't eat enough before and during the ride.

agreed. Eat before you're hungry, drink before you're thirsty. I carry a bottle of water, one bottle of gatorade, and a variety of energy snacks.

Eat early, eat often. If I'm going to be out for more than an hour and a half, I'll eat around 200-300 calories per hour and I'll start eating after the first 45 minutes to give my body a chance to digest the food and get the calories ready to use. If you wait to eat when you're running low on energy, it is already too late because your body can't convert food to energy that quickly.